Starxis

By: PhantasmBabeIvory

Disclaimer: Don't own the Transformers; Hasbro does.

Chapter Three

As the hours wore on, Starscream periodically cursed Thrust for planting the idea in his head. He had returned to the base after thirty minutes spent soaring through the skies to burn off steam, but the thoughts themselves refused to go away. Had he been able to find Alexis and the Limscree youngling, who'd apparently departed from the control room in his absence and were now nowhere to be found, it might have alleviated some of the conflict that had been stirred up.

As he stood in one of t he many corridors of the Autobot's base, staring blindly at the three Mini-Cons that made up the Shield, Starscream couldn't help but be bothered by the fact that his new "pet" had gone missing. The little guy had spent every single moment of the past three days practically attached to him at the hip, and he had been so sure that it would have followed after him when he went to meet Thrust.

The one thought that kept coming to mind was that maybe the Limscree youngling had taken it to heart when he said (even though it had been directed at Alexis) to stay. That was the only explanation he could come up with that made sense.

So lost in his musings, Starscream wasn't aware that Blurr had come up behind him until the latter spoke. "Everything alright?" Blurr asked, curious at why the jet seemed so tense but also noticing that Starscream's "pet" was nowhere in sight. While Blurr's duties as a soldier and his tendency to remain stern and set in his ways ruled out the idea of taking a youngling under his wing, he had some vague inkling of what was causing the stress.

Slightly distracted, Starscream shifted his weight, bringing his gaze back into focus. Realizing that watching the three Mini-Cons was once more bringing Thrust's offer to mind, he swiftly turned away and began walking in the opposite direction. "Everything's fine," he answered absently. "I'd better go. I have work to do."

Startled, Blurr turned to look after Starscream as he retreated. Did the guy really say he was going to go work voluntarily? It seemed such an odd thing for the jet to state that Blurr shifted his gaze to look at the Mini-Cons, suddenly wondering why Starscream had been here watching them anyway…

The last thing that Alexis had planned to do, when Starscream had left her and the Limscree youngling to their own devices, was to venture outside for several hours. True, she had wanted to get some fresh air and see how the little guy might respond to the outdoor world, but she couldn't have anticipated just what would follow.

She had been more than surprised when the Limscree urged her, through inarticulate gestures and body language, to climb up onto its back. Once she was positioned there, it had taken off running, forcing Alexis to take firm handholds of its fur to avoid being thrown off.

For the first few minutes, she had been scared out of her mind, but the longer it wore on, with her having no idea how to get the little guy to stop (her thoughts alone weren't doing it), the more she began to relax and enjoy herself. As the Limscree youngling sprinted this way and that, moving just as agilely across rocky terrains as grassy knolls and even weaving in between patches of tightly-packed trees, Alexis found herself thinking that this was far better than any amusement park ride that came to mind.

Inevitably, her thoughts began to return to Starscream. Alexis had been having so much fun that she was unaware of just how long she'd been at this, but eventually, the passage of time started to weigh in on her. Surely, the jet must be worried by now; it couldn't have taken him too long to return to the control room to find her gone.

Her furry friend proved to be reading her thoughts this time as it began to move in the direction where the base's entrance was located. When they were close enough, the little guy gradually came to a stop, allowing Alexis to slide off and run her fingers through her wind-blown, ridiculously-tangled brown hair.

Feeling a wave of euphoria, Alexis turned and leaned over to give the little guy a big hug. "Thank you," she whispered, listening to it chirp once as if in response.

Standing up straight, she looked around to orient herself with her surroundings and allow the sun to ward off the slight chill she was currently feeling; she'd have to remember to have a jacket handy the next time around. Just when she decided she was ready to go back inside, a flicker of movement, at the base of the path that cut down the mountainside, caught her eye.

Unsure of what she was seeing, Alexis took a few steps in that direction, cupping her hands around her eyes to get a better view. Still, she could barely make out the familiar figures of Rad and Carlos (likely out for a walk) and… Did they have several of the Mini-Cons accompanying them?

Even from this distance, she could tell that the tiny robots weren't High Wire or Grindor, two of the three very first Mini-Cons to be discovered on Earth by herself and the boys, given that the colors and shapes didn't match. With a groan, Alexis turned away and moved towards the entrance, thinking it would be just like Rad and Carlos to not inform anyone that they were heading out with any of the tiny bots other than the ones they had initially befriended. If that were the case, she'd just better go tell one of the Autobots. Keeping track of the little bots was causing a lot of tension as it was these days; it tended to cause a panic if even one was unaccounted for.

Though Alexis wasn't surprised when, as she neared the control room, Hoist stormed in ahead of her in a state of agitation, the last thing she was prepared to hear was the angry shouting that ensued from within. Growing worried, she picked up the pace, straining to hear what was going on and what the fuss was about.

No one seemed to notice her right off as she stepped through the doorway, not even Fred or Billy, as they were looking upward and viewing the argument that was ensuing among the Transformers. Alexis quickly looked around, identifying that those assembled included Jetfire, Hoist, Sideswipe, Blurr, Hot Shot, and Starscream. She was about to try to get their attention and ask what was happening, but Jetfire beat her to the punch, simultaneously shocking her into silence.

"Don't tell me you're about to double-cross us!" Jetfire said heatedly, and for a second, Alexis couldn't fathom just who the statement was directed towards. The answer to this nearly blew her away, especially considering who spoke next.

"What… No!" Starscream protested. "Don't be ridiculous…"

Blurr jumped in before Starscream had even finished the thought. "But you do admit you met with Thrust outside our base?!"

"Did you hand those three Mini-Cons over to him, Starscream?" Hoist added, looking equally as furious as Jetfire and Blurr.

Alexis watched the accusations flying back and forth, getting a sense of what the situation was merely by listening. Beginning to feel cold once more, she blinked back tears, scarcely believing just what was unfolding around her.

She moved further into the room along with the Limscree youngling, very briefly drawing Starscream's attention. Before either she or the jet could get a defensive word in, Hot Shot stepped forward to throw in his two cents.

"Hold your horses, men," Hot Shot stated, causing Alexis to look at him with a flicker of hope. "Come on, let's not jump to any conclusions here. Starscream's on our side, remember? And don't forget, he's innocent unless he's proven guilty."

Alexis watched silently as Hot Shot stepped closer to Starscream, only to get her hopes dashed by what was said next. As she listened, she started to feel more angry than she'd ever remembered being in her life. At least Sideswipe, young and naïve as he was, was too flustered to speak; she might really have lost it then.

"Okay, Starscream, help me out and explain what's up here," Hot Shot was saying, instantly turning what was supposed to be a speech in Starscream's defense into just another, though somewhat masked, accusation. "If you don't -- Let's put it this way, you are so up the creek. And right now, you look pretty guilty."

"Guilty, huh?" Starscream responded, hanging his head so he was looking towards the floor. There was a slight hesitation before he said quietly, "I don't think it matters what I say because you've already convicted me… But thanks for trying, Hot Shot."

"No one said you did it," Hot Shot protested, making an already bad situation even worse. "We just want to know the truth."

By this point, nothing was going to stop Alexis from being heard. "Stop it!" she screamed, repeating it a second time, a third, and so on, until six pairs of widened optics (and two pairs of human eyes) were fully focused on her. Well, seven actually, if she counted the Autobot's leader, Optimus Prime, who had just appeared in the doorway. Even the poor Limscree youngling looked slightly scared of her.

When she ceased shouting, though she was still shaking with barely controlled fury, Hot Shot took a small step in her direction. "Alexis," he said softly, sounding like he was completely in shock. Perhaps he was; she had never blown up like this in front of any of them before.

She had to take a breath before she trusted herself to speak. "If I'm right," she said as peacefully as she could manage, "then the Mini-Cons you're looking for are with Rad and Carlos. I saw them outside just ten minutes ago."

For a moment, no one seemed to know just what to say, but were soon to find that they wouldn't even get a chance. At that instant, the proximity alarm sounded, and those who turned to look at the monitors saw that once more, the Decepticons had mobilized outside.

"Perfect timing," Hot Shot groaned, doing his best to shake off the guilt that had taken hold. It took only seconds to see that all the Decepticon soldiers, save for Megatron and Thrust, were on the Autobots' doorstep and closing in fast, guns blazing. He stated as much to Optimus, who was quick to give the order that they move out and head off the attack.

However, Starscream didn't readily move as the rest of the Autobots filed out, except to step over to the counter, using both hands to hold himself up as he leaned heavily against it. Wordlessly, Alexis stepped up beside him, throwing a quick glance at Fred and Billy to see that they looked to be in a state of shock. Gently, she put one hand against Starscream's leg, but this failed to catch his attention.

She barely acknowledged that Starscream was studying the monitors that were now showing the battle being waged outside before he turned his gaze her way. With a sigh, he knelt in front of her, simultaneously reaching out with one hand to gently stroke the Limscree's head. Disturbed by his silence, Alexis asked, "Are you okay?"

Starscream shook his head, though it didn't appear as if he was actually responding to her question. "I should get out there," he said hesitantly, seeming distracted. "I…" He looked at her, and Alexis could see an odd light in his orange optics. Gesturing towards their furry little friend, Starscream said simply, "Watch after him."

As Starscream got to his feet and moved to race from the control room, Alexis started to get a bad feeling. After a second, she looked towards Billy and Fred, alerting them by calling out their names. Having gathered that they'd witnessed the meeting between Starscream and Thrust, she said urgently, "I need you both to think. What was it that Thrust wanted? Why was he here?"

The answer that her two friends provided got Alexis even more worked up. Fearful that Starscream may actually be driven to do something drastic, especially at this point, she turned towards the Limscree youngling at her side, climbing hurriedly up behind its neck and taking firm handholds of its fur. Leaning forward, she whispered, as well as thought, "Follow him. Don't let him get away from us."

The furry little guy took off like a rocket, racing down the corridor as fast as it could manage. For a moment, Alexis still feared that they wouldn't make it in time, but the little guy surprised her by leaping onto Starscream's back just seconds after they got outside, digging its claws in to hitch a ride with the jet.

Starscream was startled when he felt his new "pet" had latched on to him, but he was in too much of a hurry to face off against Thrust to worry about it. If he had noticed that Alexis was also on board, he definitely would have stopped in his tracks.

As it was, Starscream soared swiftly towards the sky, coming to a halt just above the clouds overlooking the battle that was being waged below. "Thrust," he yelled out, knowing that the other Decepticon was nearby from the brief view on the monitor. "Show yourself!"

Within seconds, Thrust materialized in thin air, hovering a few yards away. He didn't waste any time before asking, "Have you made your decision?"

Still clinging to the little guy's fur, Alexis quietly commanded him to move upwards to Starscream's shoulder, feeling a surge of pride as she listened to her friend answer with, "I have, Thrust… I think I'll stay here with bots I can trust." Regardless of how he must feel about the Autobots at this point, it apparently paled in comparison to the misgivings he had towards his former comrade. Perhaps her fears were unwarranted -- at least, that's what she thought until she saw that Starscream had the Saber with him. There was no reason for him to have stopped to retrieve it if he'd already made up his mind, given that he had his own sword available.

Thrust, no doubt, was disappointed by this response. "Why do you insist on working against me? We both want to see Megatron destroyed, Starscream. If you would only ally with me, I can guarantee that we'll see that goal achieved in no time."

"That's enough!" Starscream shouted, taking a swing at Thrust with the Star Saber, but just missing by inches. "I'm tired of listening to your yammering!"

Thrust tilted his head to one side, curious at the fact that the sword hadn't even come close to scratching him. Was this a sign that Starscream might be having doubts, and could actually be persuaded into returning to the fold?

"You have to know that there's no better way to exact your revenge than by getting close to Megatron," Thrust said, feeling confidant that he'd be able to manipulate Starscream into doing exactly what he wanted. "What better way to do that than by building up his trust in you again? Surely, stealing the Skyboom Shield from the Autobots would get you back in our leader's good graces."

At this, Alexis decided she'd heard enough; though it didn't sound on the surface that Starscream was giving in, she knew there was a part of him that would truly want what Thrust was suggesting. She carefully slid off of her furry friend, moving cautiously around the cannon on the jet's right shoulder so she could be seen. "Don't listen to him," she said vehemently. "This isn't your only option, Starscream!"

Starscream had been caught off guard when he had felt the light footsteps and was both fearful and amazed when he heard the sound of her voice. Turning his head briefly to gaze at her, as he didn't dare take his attention off of Thrust for very long, he blurted out, "What are you…? You shouldn't be here!"

For once, Thrust was in total agreement. "This matter is between us, human. It doesn't concern you!" he snapped.

Alexis lifted her head, her eyes shining with defiance. "It does when it involves someone I've come to call a friend!" she said in return. "If you believe for one second that I'll just sit back and let this happen, then you've got another thing coming!"

Starscream was the one to respond, sounding incredibly tired. "Don't ask this of me, Alexis… I don't belong on the Autobot team. I'm too different from them, and what happened just now proves they'd never accept me for who I am."

Looking towards Starscream's face, she spoke quickly for fear that Thrust might try to interject his own opinion, "You barely gave them any time. What they did was wrong, and no doubt they know that by now! You can't just give up simply because they made a mistake… And you can't tell me that the Decepticons are any better. They were the ones who left you alone on a battlefield to die! Who's to say they won't do that again if you go back to them?!"

Starscream hesitated, allowing her words to sink in and silently admitting she was right. Thrust could see by the gradual change in Starscream's demeanor that this girl was undoing in seconds what he'd been carefully laying the groundwork for over the past eight hours; he was mad as hell over it.

Still, Thrust threw out one more bid, glancing momentarily towards the ground through a break in the clouds and seeing that the Shield had been brought into play. No doubt one of the Autobots was going to need it, considering most of them were under heavy fire. "This is ridiculous! You can't tell me that you actually wish to go soft, Starscream! You are a Decepticon! Now act like one!"

Alexis took another step forward, clinging to the side of Starscream's laser cannon to keep her balance. "It's over, Thrust," she said defiantly, making Starscream turn his head once more to glance at her. "Or are you too much of a fool to see when you've lost?"

Emboldened by Alexis' words, Starscream focused on his opponent, holding the Star Saber upright in an indication that he was prepared to strike. "I think I will stay right where I am, Thrust," he said, his tone giving no doubt that this time, he meant it.

"So be it," Thrust responded in a dangerous tone. As Starscream started towards him, Thrust suddenly teleported, moving in behind his opponent in the blink of an eye. Using all of his might, Thrust then slammed into Starscream's back, jarring his adversary just enough to reach the desired outcome.

Unprepared for the jolt, Alexis lost her footing. Desperately, she made a grab for something, anything, she could hold onto, but there was nothing there. Once her brain registered the fact that she was falling through open air, away from Starscream, she let loose with a terrified shout.

Starscream recovered quickly upon hearing her, and his instantly frightened optics focused on her retreating form. "Alexis," he yelled in alarm, even as he moved to dive after her, saying a silent prayer that he'd be able to reach her in time.

With Starscream sufficiently distracted, Thrust was free to make his move. He, too, went into a dive as he witnessed the Skyboom Shield being thrown from Hoist to Optimus Prime. Much to his delight, he just made it, snatching the Shield away from the startled Autobots. As he headed skyward again, a number of laser blasts zoomed by his head, originating from the ground, but he easily avoided them all.

Thrust's only regret in this was that he'd failed to obtain the Star Saber as well; that was still in Starscream's clutches. But, Thrust knew that that victory could be saved for another day. After quickly checking to make sure that Tidal Wave and the other Decepticons had retreated, he made his own escape, already plotting away…

In a nearby field, Starscream sat quietly, cradling Alexis in one hand as he listened to her sob and thanking Primus that she was still with him. He partially understood how she felt; it must be terrifying to think you might die, and then to face the flood of relief at knowing you'd been spared…

At this point, the Limscree youngling, who'd been quiet through pretty much the whole exchange with Thrust and Alexis' near-death experience, skittered down from Starscream's shoulder into his outstretched hand. As if the little guy wanted to assure himself that Alexis was indeed alright, he gently nuzzled her. She responded by hugging her furry friend, crying against its soft pelt.

Starscream knew on some level that he should be angry that she'd taken such a risk, but instead, he said quietly, "You shouldn't have come after me. If anything had happened to you…"

Alexis wiped at her eyes, looking up at him. "I was more scared of losing you," she said simply, the raw emotion in her tone causing his spark to ache. "I had a feeling, if I'd let you go to deal with Thrust on your own, that you'd have left and I'd never see you again."

Shamed by the thought that she could be right, Starscream bowed his head, unable to answer her. After a minute, Alexis swallowed the lump in her throat, noting, "If Thrust had been truly serious about helping you to take down Megatron if you'd only come back, he wouldn't have given up so easily."

Starscream considered this, glancing at the Star Saber he held in his other hand, then nodded in agreement. "You're right… Which means that all he wanted was the Mini-Con weapons."

Both he and Alexis were reminded of the Shield at this point, but they were spared from having to move given that Optimus had come looking for them. When questioned, the Autobot's leader said quietly, his soothing tone a perfect reflection of his own nature, "The Decepticons have retreated… But Thrust grabbed the Skyboom Shield before they did."

There was a slight pause before Optimus spoke again, directing his next statement towards the young girl. Stoic, he may be, but also one of the most compassionate beings she knew of. "I'm glad to see you're okay, Alexis. Hot Shot told me he saw you falling."

Throwing a glance at Starscream, Alexis set about relating everything that had occurred up to this point, simultaneously answering any questions that Optimus might have about just what had been going on in the control room. In turn, Optimus said, "Then it might put you at ease to know that the men would like to extend their apologies -- to both of you, it seems." With a slight chuckle, he added, "Given the way you put them all to shame, I'd have to say you'd make a great leader someday, Alexis."

Weakly, Alexis responded with, earning a few more chuckles, "Not exactly my first career choice, but thanks."

"Well, I'll leave the two of you alone now," Optimus said. "Take as much time as you need; you can come back to the base when you're ready."

Starscream stopped the Autobot's leader just long enough to hand over the Star Saber, as he wasn't sure it would be a good idea to keep it out in the open.

As soon as they were alone, Starscream looked down at Alexis and their furry friend, just content to watch them for the time being. After a long moment, he surprised her by saying thank you. "For convincing me to stay," he explained when she asked. "I… don't know what I'd do without you, Alexis."

She paused for a long while, the wheels turning in her head from that last statement. Then, she completely caught Starscream off guard by blurting out a single word: "Starxis!"

"What?!" Starscream asked in bewilderment, wondering if all the emotional upheaval of the day may be affecting her state of mind.

Alexis looked down at the Limscree youngling, placing one hand on its head. "That's what we should call him," she said excitedly. "Starxis." She gazed back up at Starscream, her blue eyes shining. "If it hadn't been for him, I'd never have caught up with you. It's because of this little guy that we're both here right now, together."

As Starscream had told Alexis earlier, he was pretty much useless when it came to picking a name. Yet, he found that he liked the one she'd come up with, and the sentiment behind it. "Starxis it is," he said in agreement, and smiled when the little guy began chirping in what Starscream and Alexis both guessed was approval…

Author's Notes: Had to struggle a bit with this chapter, so hopefully, I kept everyone in character. I don't have a timeframe for how long it may take to write the next installment as I'm still working out the details, but with any luck, it will be soon.